I took a closer look at the now-gaunt Genocide Alloy Blade.
'And here I thought she'd taken the whole thing apart.'
Special weapons like the alloy blade couldn't be made by anyone else, and once dismantled, they were hard to restore to their original state.
Part of the reason was their abnormal level of engineering, but it was also because they contained materials that were hard to come by.
"Whoa, you can't touch it carelessly right now. The part connected to the energy source is exposed, so it could break if you're not careful."
[Activating the skill Magic Sight.]
Just as she said, through my vision I could see threads of magic connected all over the alloy blade.
The source of that magic was located near the part's shoulder.
It had faded a little, but the neon glow Gloren used to give off still remained.
That core holding a mana stone was the source of Gloren's power.
"The detailed parts were all broken, but the outer shell and this central part you're looking at were only a little scorched, so they looked usable again. So at first I was going to put it back the way it was, but I decided to leave it like this to hear your opinion, Mr. Enon."
"My opinion?"
"Yes. After looking it over, I think I could add other functions."
Continuing her explanation, Dorothy showed me a simply drawn structural diagram as she spoke.
"Looking at it, originally it only had two forms, the blade form and a basic prosthetic form. But judging by the structure, I think I could add more besides those two."
"So that means new parts can be added into that space."
"Exactly. So like this... if you send a signal, you can quickly swap parts whenever you need to, so you'll be able to respond flexibly in emergencies."
When Dorothy touched the part with an electric signal device, the mechanism at the wrist rotated, and a blade sprang out where the prosthetic hand had been.
"Whoa, you scared me."
"Careful. It's extremely sharp."
It could easily cut through my body; why would a person be any different?
'Quick-swapping, huh.'
It definitely had bugged me in the last fight, having to attach each new part by hand every time.
And when I was in a hurry, I hadn't even thought of putting on a new part.
No, I hadn't even fought with many parts in the first place, so whatever.
"So I thought about what devices to put in the remaining slots, but I don't know the most important thing."
"The most important thing?"
"Yes. It's something I've wanted to ask since I first saw the thing: I was curious where you'll use such a powerful weapon. Whether you'll sell it at an auction house, or to some underground organization or...."
Dorothy looked away and began to trail off.
Normally, once a maker accepted a commission, they simply made the item according to the client's demands and didn't wonder about its use; that was the unspoken rule.
The question she was asking now broke that rule.
We'd promised to work together later, but it was still just a verbal contract, so she had no choice but to ask carefully.
I answered her question with a straight face.
"I won't be selling it anywhere else. I'll be using it myself."
"Phew, right, of course? Rather than selling it to someone dangerous... what? You're going to use it, Mr. Enon?"
"Yes. I'll use it myself."
Dorothy gave an awkward smile, as if she thought I was joking.
"Oh, come on, why would a factory boss need something like this? And you have two perfectly good arms, so where would you even need a prosthetic.... Stop joking and tell me honestly."
"I'm not joking. To tell you one thing, this weapon belonged to someone who tried to kill me. I got it by fighting them myself."
Even though I'd told her the truth, Dorothy still looked like she didn't believe it.
"You don't seem like the type to make enemies for no reason... Stop making up stories and hurry up and tell me honestly."
So she wouldn't believe me unless I showed her properly.
"Don't be alarmed, and watch closely."
With that, I placed my hand on the Genocide Alloy Blade.
"Whoa! Take your hand off, quick. What if you get hurt?"
[Butcher's Genocide Alloy Blade]
[The part currently in contact has detected a Mana Core.]
[Imprint magic into this part?]
Without hesitation, I gave the order to the Mana Core.
[Imprinting magic into the Butcher's Genocide Alloy Blade.]
[Activating the Mana Core.]
Then faint lines glowed all over my body and began to tint the alloy blade.
[A collision reaction occurs with the magic already present in the part.]
[Maintaining the ongoing process.]
Maybe because it took after its previous owner, imprinting magic into it wasn't smooth.
But I'd already defeated Gloren and earned the right to own the weapon; a mere part no longer had the strength to resist my magic.
[You have succeeded in imprinting magic into the Butcher's Genocide Blade.]
[With the successful imprint, the part's name is revised.]
[ - Genocide Alloy Prosthetic]
[Effect when worn – Strength +10, Agility +10]
A few words had been dropped from the long name of before.
Probably because I was now the weapon's rightful owner.
[Equipping the part on your body.]
[The part replaces the body at the equipped site.]
When I moved the arm fitted with the alloy prosthetic, it moved naturally, without any sense of it being foreign.
"H-How did you do that? The part suddenly just snapped onto your arm.... No, more importantly, what on earth is your body, Mr. Enon?"
Looking at Dorothy, whose pupils had gone wide, I answered.
"I'm just a somewhat special doll."
***
[Due to the part's worn effect, Strength and Agility stats each increase by 10.]
Not even a special part effect; just equipping it raised my Strength and Agility by a whole 10.
So, in effect, I'd inherited part of Gloren's physical abilities.
Even so, my stats were only 11, but that alone was a big gain.
Because a change in a stat's leading digit meant the very level of your basic abilities changed.
[Special Active – Neon Rampage]
[Duration 3 minutes – Physical abilities are enhanced by 200%, and the special skill Neon Sign Slash becomes usable. Each target defeated extends the duration by 10 seconds.]
[Cooldown – 24 hours]
The moment I saw the special active's description, a memory came back to me.
'So that's why she suddenly moved so fast.'
I'd more or less guessed, but it was the weapon's effect after all.
The thought that I could now use that effect made me swell with pride.
[List of Swappable Modules]
[1. Steel Alloy Prosthetic]
[2. Genocide Alloy Blade]
[Remaining Module Slots : 3 ]
It was just as Dorothy had told me.
Now the question was what parts to put in there.
For someone like me, who could equip and use any part, it was bound to be a dilemma.
'First, I'll ask what parts she has.'
I turned my head to look at Dorothy, who was fusing an outer shell, lightened to fit the size of my arm, onto the prosthetic.
It was hidden by her protective gear, but through the glass of her face shield I could see her sinister smile.
At the sight of that smile, an inexplicable chill ran through me.
"Um... Miss Dorothy. Are you finished fusing it?"
"Hehe... a product of the highest engineering, I want to see more of what's inside...."
Tzzzt.
"...Miss Dorothy?"
"It must be way more incredible than this part, right? How great would it be if I could make something like this too?"
Even though the fusing was done and she'd put down the welder, Dorothy kept her hand on my arm, muttering sinister things.
"Miss Dorothy. If you're done, please let go."
"Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment."
The hand she snatched back in a fluster was full of regret.
Even in the game, Dorothy was a character who was a machine otaku to the point of mania.
So it would honestly be stranger if she weren't interested in my body, that of a living doll.
'I didn't think it'd go past uncomfortable into terrifying.'
Actually being on the receiving end of that mania was truly frightening.
"Mr. Enon, this might be a really rude request, but is it okay?"
"...What is it?"
"Could I pleeease take a look at your body sometime later, when it's okay? Just once. Please?"
In my whole life since I was born, this was the first time I'd met someone who said they wanted to see my body.
I knew full well her intentions weren't impure, but....
My dignity as a human, no, as a doll, could hardly allow it.
"No."
"Aww, please. I've never seen such a high-level crystallization of craft in my entire life, I'm telling you. Please, can't you let me do it just once?"
"My body may be a doll's, but my mind is a perfectly human one. What normal person just shows their naked body to someone else?"
"I don't mind not seeing the outside, so at least the inside, please? Can't you at least show me the inside?"
What is this? Why does that make me feel even worse and more cowed?
It happened while I was struggling to pry off Dorothy, who was clutching my collar and begging on the verge of tears.
Knock, knock.
A knock came from the direction of the repair shop's door.
"Miss Dorothy, are you in there?"
It seemed to be a customer who'd come looking for Dorothy.
"First, let go of my sleeve and go greet your customer."
"Ugh, a customer at a time like this, of all times...."
Wearing a bitter expression, Dorothy brushed herself off, got up, went to the door, and opened it.
"Oh, you're here. I was worried you might not be."
"What brings you here at this hour, Mr. Vilt? Is something wrong?"
The customer called Vilt seemed to be someone Dorothy had seen often.
The customer was busy talking with Dorothy and paid me no attention.
[Activating the trait effect Thousand Masks.]
[The appearance of the Genocide Alloy Prosthetic switches to your original body form.]
Along with the notification, my arm returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
I was pulling my rolled-up dress shirt back down and buttoning it when Dorothy's voice suddenly rang out.
"What? What do you mean? The machines suddenly aren't moving...."
"Well... we don't know what happened either, so we came to ask you to check it out. Would that be all right?"
"Got it. I'll close up the shop and head over right away, so go on ahead."
After she sent the customer back, I asked Dorothy, who was hurriedly tidying the shop.
"What's going on?"
"The machines at one of the steelworking factories in District 6 suddenly stopped working. They say they can't figure out why at all, so he came to ask me for help."
"That's a big deal. Did every machine in the whole factory stop working?"
"No, he says the existing machines are fine, but if the work stays stopped for long, it'll hit their output hard, so I think I need to fix it fast."
District 6 was the area of Revendale packed with machine-part factories.
Even if it was only one of many factories, it would surely take a hit to its output.
"I'm going over right now, so you go get some rest, Mr. Enon."
"No. I'll come too."
"You too, Mr. Enon? All right. Then let's leave right away."
After closing the shop door, I followed Dorothy outside.
As she left the shop, Dorothy brought out a kickboard.
But in place of wheels, it had a mana stone.
Thanks to that, the kickboard floated above the ground without any wheels at all.
Naturally, it was one of Dorothy's works, not sold on the market.
"Get on behind me."
"I think it'll be too heavy to move with two people on it."
Mana stones held enormous amounts of energy and were causing a craze as a new energy source, but a pebble-sized one like this couldn't put out much energy at once.
For that reason and various other compound reasons, magitech engineering's development in Revendale was slowing down.
"It's a 2-seater anyway, so it's no problem. More importantly, did you leave the thing you were wearing earlier in the shop?"
"No, I'm wearing it right now."
I casually lifted my sleeve and partially released the Thousand Masks effect.
"Whoa, can't I check it out for a sec? How on earth did you do that?"
"Let's just get going."
"Oh, right."
When she turned the hover kickboard's handle, the kickboard began gliding very smoothly through the alley.
Cutting across the streets in no time, we arrived at the District 6 factory before long.
"Switch the factory lines first, and once everything's ready, get set to start up!"
The factory was extremely busy because of the unexpected trouble.
Besides the moving of supplies, employees called in on an emergency were packed into the factory, working through the night.
"Miss Dorothy, you came! Over here!"
Vilt, who'd come by the shop earlier, spotted Dorothy and me and waved from afar.
Heading over to where he was, we followed his lead to the factory area where things had supposedly stopped working.
"It's this magic generator here. We turn it off before work to save magic, but when we pressed the start button to begin work again, it wouldn't start."
Listening to Vilt, I sensed something strange.
'There's supposed to be a mana stone in there?'
I called out to stop Dorothy as she approached the generator.
"The outside looks fine for now... it might be a problem with the mana stone, so I think I'll have to take it apart."
"No, Miss Dorothy. There's nothing wrong with the mana stone itself."
I placed my hand on top of the generator as I spoke.
[There is no detectable magic in this machine.]
"The mana stone inside the generator is gone."